LACONIA — A unidentified Lakeport man assisted an elderly woman yesterday by chasing down the man who allegedly stole her purse while she was sitting outside of her apartment building.

Police said Joshua A. Fox, 33, who has had addresses in Meredith, Laconia and Claremont was "visiting" with some of the residents of the Lake Village Apartments on Union Avenue when he allegedly stole an older woman's pocketbook.

Sgt. Dennis Ashley said witnesses said Fox acted like he was helping the woman get up from her chair when he is said to have grabbed her purse and began running down Union Avenue.

When the other people sitting outside with her began yelling, Ashley said one of the young men who lives in the neighborhood of Lakeport Square gave chase down Union Avenue toward Circle K (Irving).

Ashley said Officer Bryan Moynihan had just finished investigating a minor car accident and was in the parking lot of Circle K, a distance of about half a mile from the apartment building, when Fox and his pursuer got close to the store.

Ashley said Fox saw the cruiser and headed into the woods up and behind Circle K when the neighbor chasing him alerted Moynihan. He said Moynihan chased Fox into the woods and caught him.

Somewhere along the way, Fox allegedly threw away the pocketbook but police recovered it. When police interviewed the victim she said that the only thing that was missing was some cash — two $5 dollar bills and seven $1 dollar bills.

When police did an inventory search on Fox, Ashley said the only cash they allegedly found on him was two $5 bills and seven $1 dollar bills.

Fox was charged with one count of theft (purse snatching) and released on personal recognizance bail.

Ashley said the victim, who is in her 80s, was unharmed. He also added it's nice to see neighbors looking out for one another and especially to see the younger people in the area helping the older people.